‘Life and Death in the Piscataqua Region’ coming Feb. 9

Thursday

Jan 17, 2013 at 3:15 AM

PORTSMOUTH — The Portsmouth Historic Houses Association presents its 9th annual, popular winter symposium, “Life and Death in the Pisacataqua” on Saturday, Feb. 9. The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the St. John’s Lodge Masonic Temple, 351 Middle Street (corner of Miller Avenue and Middle Street) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Tickets reserved in advance are $10; ($15 at the door the day of the event). The ticket price includes the daylong program of four lectures, continental breakfast and a lunch of homemade soup, bread and dessert. For reservations, call 603.436.8221.

The Portsmouth Historic House Association’s 2013 “Life and Death in the Piscataqua Region” symposium includes four presentations:

— “The Virgin Soil Epidemic of 1616-19 and Its Impact on Native Americans” by David Stewart-Smith, Ph.D., Union Institute Graduate School, historian for the New Hampshire Tribal Council, past professor of history and cultural studies, Vermont College of Norwich University..

— “Mayhem in Portsmouth: Attacks on Ursula Cutt and Mercy Brewster” by Sandra Rux, curator of the John Paul Jones House Museum that will host the 2013 exhibit, “First Nations Diplomacy Opens the Portsmouth Door: 300th Anniversary of the 1713 Treaty of Portsmouth”

The annual event, a fund-raiser for the Portsmouth Historic Houses Association, will also include raffle baskets and the sale of additional items from PHHA members (Historic New England and the Gov Langdon, Jackson and Rundlet-May Houses, Strawbery Banke Museum, the John Paul Jones House Museum, the Warner House, Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion, the Moffatt-Ladd House and Garden, and the Wentworth-Lear Historic Houses. Information on locations and hours (most PHHA museums are open May through October) available at each website and at www.portsmouthhistorichouses.org: